Frank Dye’s legacy

One of sailing's greatest adventurers and small boat pioneers passes away

I was sad to read that Frank Dye has passed away. With his wife, Margaret, Frank was one of the most adventurous exponents of small boat voyaging.

Their cruises together will always rank as some of the greatest ever made and are a fine reminder that you do not need a big boat, lots of equipment and money to sail far, even to some of the most challenging latitudes.

The Dyes cruised far and wide in their 16ft Wayfarer dinghy, which they appropriately named Wanderer. They set her up to live on board, with a cockpit tent and camping gear.

Throughout the Sixties and Seventies the Dyes covered an amazing total of 34,500 miles.

Probably the most famous trip was in 1963 when they sailed 650 miles from Scotland to Iceland and across the Norwegian Sea beyond the Arctic Circle. They endured a storm that capsized the dismasted the little boat but they recovered the mast from the sea, made a jury rig and continued to make landfall in Norway with no help.

Frank’s Wanderer took prime position in the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth when it opened – and maybe she still does. She remains safely in their collection, still in the slightly weatherbeaten condition that hints at her tough life, and Frank’s skilful and tenacious seamanship.

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